Warning device



March 26, 1935. s. 1. LEWIS WARNING DEVICE Filed Aug. 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 26, 1935.

G. l. LEWIS WARNING DEVICE Filed A1 1g. 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 26, 1935 *vun smms WARNING Davies 7 v George LfLevvis, Cincinnati, Ohio; a h

' i 1: Application August 28', 1933. Serial No. 687,035 -2 Claims. (01477-7) -Myinvention has for its object to: provide an efficient signalling. and warning: device of substantial construction which may be easily assembled and made at a low. cost of construction.

. 5 The invention also provides a construction which may be easily adjusted to produce the desired tonic effects.

The invention particularly relates to a means whereby a fixed diaphragm and a freely vibratory body are vibrated to produce a piercing resultant tone. The invention is particularly'adapted to be used as a signalling and warning device, on motor vehicles. The piercing tone produced by the structure is easily distinguished over the 2: din and noise of motor traflic.

The invention is equally usable as a signalling and warning device onmotor boats and water craft.

The invention also provides a means whereby the pitch of the resultant tone may be easily adjusted; The invention consists in other features which will appear from the following description and upon examination of the drawings. The invention may be contained-inhorns or signalling devices of diiferent forms, andlto illustrate a practical application of the-invention, I have chosen a horn containing the invention as an example of the various structures thatembody the invention and shall describe' it hereinafter. The structure selected, together with twomodified forms of the structure, isshowninftheaccompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view of the horn. Fig. 2 is a side view of the horn, showing the sound producspring used in adjusting the pitch of thehorn. Fig. 4 is aside view a: a' modified form of-the horn construction. Fig.5 is a view of a section on the plane of the line 5-5 indicated in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a View of a section on the plane of the line 66 indicated in Fig. 5. Fig. 7is a side view of a modified form of the horn construction. Fig. '8 is a view of a section taken on the plane of the line 8-8 indicated in Fig. 7. I I In the particular form of construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the horn has a shell 1 which has the flanged portions 2 A cap 4 having the openings 6 fits over the flanged portions 2 of the shell 1' and is connected peripherally to the shell by means of screws 8. i

A'housing 9 is supported on the shell and en- ;closes and supportsa magnet 10, having a coil "11. The coil 11 has the'soft iron core 12. I

' In spaced relationtothe core 12 is a discular armature 13 supported on the threaded post 14,

the greater part of the vibratile surface of the ingparts of the horn. Fig. 3' shows a cap and which is connected to the diaphragm'18 that is secured in position bythe screws 8, which secure the cap to the flanged portions of thie'shell. The diaphragm is preferably constructedof. highly carbonized steel. The diaphragm 18 is =main- 5 tained in spaced relation with respect to the armature 13 by the adjustable space bolt;15,

- which has't'he raised portion' lfi substantially fitting the opening. 17 of the diaphragm 18.-

Mounted on the threaded post l i andconw nected thereby to the diaphragm '18is the freely vibratory body, preferably discularin shape: The freely vibratory body may be formed of sheet metal having opposite plane surfaces, or it may be formed slightly thicker in the central portion than at the peripheral portions, or it may be formed of sheet metal and'pressed-to form a v very slight concavity. The vibratory body constitutes a tuned mamher capable of producing a fundamentaltone 'of'20 definite 'pitch, due to its" manner of "support or due to'its support and shape-and thecharacter 'of the material used in its construction; g R

The tuned vibratorybody 21 is mainta'inedjin spaced relationf'to the peripherally secureddia? phragmlS by the space member 22; The diap phragm =18, the space member 22, and the-vi-, Y

bratory body-are securely held in "position with respect'to each other and to their position -on the threaded post 14 by the clamping action of the nut 23 again'st'the headof the space 'boltfl5. N The diameter ofthe tuned vibratory is I preferably such that the vibratory body covers dia'phr'agi rr18 ,Preferably the ,diameterfof ,the' vibratory body is substantially the same astliat of the inner," diameter of r the. shell, and the" edge of the vibratory body is located inclose proximity.

and in spaced relation to" the edge por'tion of the inner surface of the cap. I 0- In operation .the vibratory body} ts n the manneraof a piston on the column of; air ibjetween its outer surface-with respect to the diaphragm 18 and-theinner surface ofjthe'capA. Theair infront of the vibratory body isfs'ucces-f sively pushed out and released in accord with the vibrations of the diaphragm 18', and the tone produced by the vibration of the diaphragm 1-8 is thereby greatly amplified. I 1 f The air between the diaphragm 18, and: the vibratory body- 21 and the walls of the-cap"! acts as a-resonator and influences and fmodifles the harmonics of the fundamental tones of the diaphragm and the vibratory body, 'aswell' asfia f withstandingfjarringand vibration of the shelL .60

transmits and reflects the vibrations between the diaphragm and. the vibratory body.

The tuned vibratory body produces a tone of Y definite pitchand harmonic'overtones which affeet the resultant tone produced by actuation of the discular armature 13 by the magnet 10.

Means is also provided for adjusting the tensity of the peripherally secured diaphragm18. Such adjustment of the tensity affects the pitch of the tone caused by the vibration of the diaphragm and consequent change in the resultant tone.

Supported by the cap 4 is the annulus 24,

threaded to receive the exteriorly threaded, ho l low, cylindrical screw 28. One end of a helical spring 30 is positioned in the screw 28 and-engages with the end part 29 of the screw to hold the other end of the spring in. pressing engagement with thenut 23. The tension ofthespring '30 can be increased or decreased by rotation of,

the screw 28. i Rotation of the screw 28 adjuststhetensionof th prin 30,; Which'in turn adjusts thetensity ofthe 'diaphragmlii; As the tensity of the dia- 'phragm 18 isincreased by, the increased tension creased, and the pitch of the fundamentaltone otthe diaphragm is lowered, lowering; thepitch of. the resultant tone.

Means is also prov ded forlxnaintalining the ediusi m ofthe he l in .1% a ns jarring and vibrationsof the shell=-of the horn,

which would tendto cause retrogradation of the screw 28 and alessening of the compression of the spring 30 In'order to effect maintenance of-the adjust-.- ment of the spring 30, against jarring and vibration, one end of the spring 30 is provided with a .thimble 31, which hasridges 32, The endpart 2910f the screw 28 has slots 33 into which the ridges of 'thethimble fit I pr hee-amn n 34 h re e rroma other end. 'I'he nut 23 ;has1transverse slots 35 which receivethel projecting portion 34 of the spring 30.

When the desired pitch of the resultanttone is obtained byvadjustment of the screw 23, the

breie es rfii n s s fin d e l t 35 .oi h ev 3 en h r es o t th m l are forcedinto pressing and yielding engagement Iwiththeslots 3370f the end part 29 of the screw by theftnsionj ofthe spring 30. Thus the cylindrical'screw isheldin its adjusted position'not- The housing 9'of the shell ,1 is provided with a pair ofbinding posts'39 and 40. The binding post 3'9 is connected to theooil 11, and; the coil 11 is connected 'to the-plate 42', which makes connection with the fixedcontacts 43 -011 the arm 44.1 The binding post is'connected to the plate 1 45-, which is separatedfrom the plate 42 by insulating material, and which makes connection with the relatively rigid vibratory arm 46. The

circuitv through the magnet, .10 is controlled by means of. the contacts 43, and 47 that are opened and closed'by the. movement of the diaphragm 18 nd, th g rt nn cte he o bra r a ms ro ct ,bey -me i ed .e ri xe ie a d he rq-mesn t .0 dbe e n th 995 2 .eee e qis ule arma r -i -,.-Wj n phone 5.9.by screws.57.,1 f vOne of the legs56 has. the-portions 58 ex.-

.in .theplane of ,theaxis of the worm. 1

the core 12 is magnetized, the discular armature 13, in the course of its movement toward the core, contacts with the arm 46 and forces it toward the core. The motion of the vibratory arm opens the contacts 43 and 47, breaking the cir- 1 cuit.- When the core 12 is demagnetized and no longer attracts the discular armature, the vibratory arm 46 is released, the contacts 43-and 47 are closed, andthe core'12 is re-energized by the coil. r n

. If desired; a megaphone maybe used in place of the cap. In this modified form of construction,

shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the soundproducing means is substantially the same as in theconstruction shownin Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Modification of the tone adjustment means, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, facilitates ready tone adjustment on constructions equipped with megaphonesp Q In the modified form of construction shownin Figs. 4, 5, and 6, a megaphone 50 has a flaring flange 5,2;sec'uredto the shell, 1, by screws 8. The

annulus 24 is maintainedin aflvertical position .by thespidee 54, which consistsin-acollar having spreadinglegs 56.' secured to the ;;mega;-

tending at substantially right angles to the leg and ends oft-the shaft aremounted in the walls of the megaphone.

Theworm gear .64, has teeth 68 :which fit be.- tween the threads 67 ,of the worm. Disposed between the teeth168 of the gear, are the segmental discoidal channelsy69. adapted to receive the threads- 67 of thejwormfio. The teeth 68 of the gear;v come inpressing engagement with the surfaces of the gear between the threads 67 of, the worm r60,an,d, the threadsof the worm ridein, the segmental discoidal channels between the teethof thejgeany Y 13y reason of, the'segmental discoidal channels in whichjthe threads or theworm ride, the gear a substantially parallelv to each other. v"Iheportions. 58 support the shaft of; a wormc60. Both.

is rotated in axisby the wormv andheld In ord r t th s rew 61; maysbefmoved verlticallyv with respect tothe plane of the annulus 24 without qorresponding verticalmovementpof the wormgear-eg, the screw 61 isprovided" with thesplines 63.. The worm gear- 64has splines 65 wh ch nt rfltz the splines 631015 the screw.

Rotation of the worm gearby rotation ofth worm causes rotation of thescrewfil due .to the .inte f ttin 01;. thesplines of the gear and: of

Oh? l m h d s crew.;1-"Rotation 'of' the threaded 1 screw causes vertical movementof the screwewith ,respectto, the annulus, 24 and vertical displacement ofthesplines 63 withirespect tothesplines 65.01 the gear 64, or: modifying theinterfitting relation oithesp1in Sy63 and 65.

, Inasmuch as '1 vertical; movement of .the screw 61 is obtained by rotation of the'gearewithout corresponding, vertical ,movementof v the. gear and without modiflcation 0':- the interfittingj relation of the splines of thescrewand; the gear, the tension of the spring ,30fcan be adjusted by rotatiq j f theiw J: :5v I flhewor'zn 6,0 is rotatedibythe. knurled screw head 66 mounted on;one' endnovfvthe worm shaft, g I

which extends through thesurfaceof thewall of h aph n end s eesi ra a abl for a justment If desired, an l. -shapedm egaphone .in place of the cap, in the construction-shown in Fia l' 1, endl In t s modinedr rm r ..j

struction, shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the sound prolducing means is substantially-the same as in the construction shown in FigsQl, 2, and 3. The tone adjustment means is modified to facilitate easy tone adjustment.

In the modified form of construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8, a megaphone 70 is bentto position tends axially with respect to the hollow cylindrical screw. A bearing member 78 on the wall of the megaphone supports the other end of the shaft 76, which protrudes beyond the wall and is surmounted by the slotted member '79 maintained on the shaft by the screw 80.

Rotation of the operating member 79 rotates the shaft 76 and the cap 75. Due to its enmesh- .ment with the cap'75, the head 72 is rotated simultaneously, regulating the tension of the spring 30, which adjusts the tensity of the diaphragm 18.

I' claim: 7 l

1. An adjusting means for, a warning device comprising a bridge member rigidly mounted and having a centrally threaded portion, a.

threaded thimble adjustable movable in the said threaded portion and havinga plurality of radially extending slots, a friction memberlocated within the thimble and having rounded protuber ances yieldingly engaging a in the i said slots and frictionally resisting rotation of the thimble, a vibratory member, means for magnetically at tracting and releasing the vibratory. member-"to produce vibrations in the vibratory member, a'(

slotted member. connected to the said vibratory member, a spiral spring fixedly connected to the; said friction member'at one end, the spring hav- 'ing'a turned end for engaging thesaid slot offthe slotted member for yieldingly resisting the vibrations of the said vibratory member and maintaining the friction member in position.

2. An adjusting means for warning device comprising a bridge member rigidly mounted and having a centrally threaded portion, a threaded thimble adjustably movable in the said threaded portion and having a plurality of radially extending slots, a friction member located within the thimble and having rounded protuberances" yieldingly engaging in the said slots, a vibratory member, means for magnetically attracting and releasing the vibratory member to produce vibrations in the vibratory member, a slotted mem-' ber connected to the said vibratory member, a spiral spring fixedly connected to the said friction member at one end, the spring having a turned end for engaging the said slot of the slotted member for yieldingly resisting thevibrations of the said vibratory member, a shell surrounding the said thimble, and means projecting through. 9

the wall of said shell for rotating the said thimble.

J GEORGE I. LEWIS. 

